Breda defines clutter as “anything physical, mental or emotional that doesn’t serve us or make us feel good. By letting go of anything that doesn’t enhance our life, decluttering helps us to make room for better things.

“It reduces stress and makes us feel happier and in control – I hear the words ‘freedom’ and ‘relief’ a lot. Giving to charity is also a feel-good exercise and a great way to extend the life of our unwanted possessions.”

Breda has made it her mission to raise awareness about the holistic benefits of decluttering and organising your home, not just in terms of physical space but also mental and emotional wellbeing.

Clutter may not enhance your life but at our Oxfam shops we can use it to transform lives. For example, the sale of a dress for €8 could help purify around 2,000 litres of water, making it safe to drink for South Sudanese families living in makeshift camps.

To help you with your decluttering and to show how to organise your life, Breda shared her Six Simple Steps for successful decluttering:

Become aware of what doesn’t make you feel good. Your clutter threshold depends on your physical space, lifestyle and tastes

Plan in advance. To prevent getting quickly disillusioned, work to a simple, step-by-step system that’s realistic for you

Be patient. Decluttering is a process that requires time, energy and a reprioritisation of what’s important in your life

Believe you can do it. Although becoming clutter-free and organised may not come naturally, trust that you can learn these skills

Be honest with yourself. Let go of any guilt and follow your gut when making decisions – if in doubt, it needs to go

Stay focused. Keep in mind the physical transformation as well as the many holistic benefits you’ll enjoy after you’ve decluttered

Fancy a one-of-a-kind piece of furniture? Rather than shelling out on a designer piece, check out the selection of good quality and great value furniture in your nearest Oxfam Home shop, roll up your sleeves and get upcycling!

Whether it’s simply dipping the legs of a wooden stool in bright paint or embarking a full-scale re-upholstery of a mid-century style armchair, there’s never been a better time to embark on a DIY meets design project.

Above: Oxfam Home regulars and serial upcyclers Les and Sue Corbett of QuirkiStuff have given these pieces of furniture the ultimate makeover. Photos: QuirkiStuff

It’s all in prep work

“Fastidious preparation is critical! For example, if you think that the piece you are working on may have been waxed or polished be sure to clean it thoroughly before sanding or painting. Otherwise your sandpaper will become clogged quickly and, more importantly, the paint will not adhere evenly.”

Take it apart first

“Disassemble furniture that is to be painted or varnished… remove hinges, catches, glass, removable moulding. This will enable you to check for damage, clean the hardware and prepare the surfaces as thoroughly as possible. Don’t forget to take numerous photographs and label everything.”

Screw in place

“If you are upcycling an old item, consider replacing the less visible screws with Phillips Head screws (of suitable gauge and length). This will fix the hinges and other hardware more securely.”

Above: More beautiful handiwork from upcyclers Les and Sue Corbett of QuirkiStuff has given these pieces of furniture the ultimate makeover. Photos: QuirkiStuff

Inspired by the before and after results? You can find your very own upcycling project at any of our three Oxfam Home stores, located on Belfast’s Dublin Road and on Francis Street in Dublin 8 and in Dublin’s north inner city just off Parnell Street at King’s Inns Street.

Not only will you have a unique centre-piece for your home, by purchasing your furniture in Oxfam Home you’ll be raising vital funds for our work overseas, such as our current emergency response in South Sudan where families desperately need food, water and sanitation.

Are you looking for the wedding dress of your dreams without having to spend a fortune? Look no further than Oxfam’s Bridal Week, kicking off this Saturday at 10am in Oxfam Bridal on George’s Street, Dublin.

The main event will take place on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 March but due to last year’s popular demand the event will run for a further five days, opening from 10am until 8pm on Saturday and weekdays, and 12pm to 6pm on the Sunday.

This year’s Wow Factor comes in the form of a pre-loved lace bridal dress by internationally-renowned designer Vera Wang. This stunning gown is on sale at the unbelievable price of €800 and comes complete with its original Certificate of Authentication.

Unwrapped gifts help change lives. Take our bestselling Clutch of Chicks. No-one expects to buy a little chick and help local families in Tanzania to feed, thrive and survive. But that’s what makes our unwrapped gifts so special!

Clockwise from top:The gift of a Clutch of Chicks will help people like Liku Simon (36), Maheda Gwisu (42) and their children who live in the Maswa district in Tanzania.After joining an Oxfam-supported project, they learnt about good farming practices including disease control. The family have now managed to increase their number of chickens from five to 70 and have also expanded their crops and livestock, allowing them to diversify the family’s source of income. Photo: Oxfam The gift of Care for a Baby will help families like Adoaga Ousmane and her children. A widow aged 45, the mum of six (pictured) was caught up in the West Africa food crisis that struck Chad in 2012. providing what’s needed most in emergency situations around the world, including water, sanitation, shelter and food. Photo: Abbie Trayler-Smith/Oxfam The gift of Support for a Woman in Business you could help women like Godelive Nyirabakobwa (58) and 800 others like her in Rwanda who have set themselves up as successful pineapple sucker growers and sellers thanks to an Oxfam-supported project. Photo: Simon Rawles/Oxfam

You see, giving your loved one the Clutch of chicks gift will help raise money for Oxfam’s Livelihoods fund. This fund supports a wide range of life-changing programmes that help vulnerable communities who depend on healthy animals for their livelihoods.

Your gift could help families like Liku Simon (36) and Maheda Gwisu (42) in Tanzania who can make a living and support their children thanks to the Unwrapped appeal. Liku and Maheda rely on chicken farming for their livelihood and often lost some of their flock to various diseases.

After joining an Oxfam-supported project, they learnt about good farming practices including disease control. The family have now managed to increase their number of chickens from five to 70 and have also expanded their crops and livestock, allowing them to diversify the family’s source of income.

So now we’re asking you to consider us again this Christmas, to unlock the potential of little chicks or any of our other Oxfam Unwrapped gifts and help a family like Liku’s and Maheda’s thrive. Whatever gift you choose, we guarantee you'll be making your friends and family smile and giving people across the world a happier, brighter future.

If you’re editing your wardrobe or clearing out clutter, our shops really need the things you don’t. Over the past three years, donations have fallen by as much as 50% and stock in many shops has reached critically low levels.

Every single item donated makes a big difference. With the current crisis in Syria worsening, these donations are needed more than ever to help us provide emergency aid as a harsh winter approaches.

Above: A coveted geometric print coat (€15/£13), black top (€6.50/£5.50) and a leather pencil skirt (€12.50/£10.50), a top trend this season, from our Oxfam Bangor shop are examples of what you might find in your local store. We also stock men's wear and children's wear.

Here’s just some of the ways that the bag of things you bring into your local Oxfam Ireland shop and or drop into your nearest donation bank can help to change the lives of people for the better:

A bracelet sold for €3.50/£3 can buy a hygiene kit for a Syrian refugee, helping to prevent the spread of deadly diseases

A big black bag of the clothes you’ve fallen out of love with could raise €60/£50, enough to give a refugee family enough food to fight hunger for about a month

A piece of furniture that’s taking up precious space sold to a new home for £100/€120 could help provide a family who have fled Syria with a roof over their head for a month

Above: Moneera Al-Harari plays with younger relatives in the tent she shares with her family in the Za’atari camp in Jordan. She and her father, along with six brothers and sisters, left their home in Syria because of the continuous bombings and food shortages. We’re providing people in the camp with access to water and sanitation, and coordinating hygiene training to prevent the spread of life-threatening diseases. We have currently reached some 20,000 Syrian refugees with emergency latrines and recently completed shower, toilet and laundry blocks which will provide sanitation for 8,000. Anastasia Taylor-Lind/Oxfam